286 BRITISH BIRDS. 



at the edge of a meadow. They faced the south and 

 were preening their feathers at 10 a.m., when first I saw 

 them. From the shelter of a wood about fifty yards away 

 I could see the bird on the grass, but not the other two 

 without risk of exposure. Ruffling out its plumage, 

 the Heron separated the right wing from the body and 

 insinuated the bill under the feathers in, as nearly as I 

 could judge, the position of the right breast powder-patch, 

 where it rubbed the biU slowly up and down, applying 

 the sides, the upper and the lower surfaces. It withdrew 

 the bill and preened the breast in the ordinary way, 

 leisurely drawing the bill among the feathers, biting at 

 their bases, and brushing them on both surfaces. With 

 intervals of rest and Avatching for signs of danger, it 

 preened its plumage, and had frequent recourse to the 

 areas of the powder-downs, where the movements of the 

 bill were always of the nature of a gentle to and fro 

 rubbing, directed to the whole surface of the bill. 

 Occasionally after preening it rubbed the bill by applying 

 the adjacent surfaces of two toes, and drawing them slowly 

 downwards over the bill. Before beginning to preen 

 again it rubbed the bill in one of the powder-downs. The 

 neck, breast, and ventral feathers received the most 

 attention, and the Heron spread the wings one at a time 

 and drew the bill downwards between each pair of remiges. 

 Then I noticed for the first time that the bill was coloured 

 pale blue, and had a dull appearance. On looking up 

 cautiously at the Herons on the fence I saw that their 

 bills were blue also, while the bill of a Heron w^hich was 

 watching for food in sedge behind the three had a yellow- 

 ish colour. When the preening was finished the plumage 

 was fluffed out very much, and the bird stood erect with 

 its neck fully outstretched. The feathers hung loosely 

 in frills round the neck, across the breast, and encircHng 

 each leg. The wings were allowed to fall downwards 

 and outwards from the shoulders, while the tips remained 

 crossed over the tail. Having completed its arrange- 

 ments it indulged in an unmistakable yawn. It stood 



